The present invention relates to systems for measuring the thicknesses of thin films and relates especially to devices and methods for determining the thicknesses of oil films on machine parts.
It is frequently desirable to determine the thicknesses of thin films of materials for such purposes as quality assurance in coating operations and in order to investigate and monitor the condition of films of lubricating oil on machine components. It is difficult to measure the thicknesses of these films because they are often extremely thin, inaccessible and do not easily lend themselves to examination with conventional mechanical methods.
In particular, information about the thicknesses of films of oil on operating machinery is very difficult to obtain with existing technology since, among other things, such films are ordinarily obscured from direct observation. The problems inherent in measuring the thicknesses of oil films on operational machinery have frustrated many efforts to investigate and monitor the processes of lubrication critical to machinery performance.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for quickly and accurately measuring the thicknesses of thin films.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for measuring the thicknesses of thin films of oil on operational machinery.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved system for measuring the thicknesses of films which are ordinarily obscured from direct observation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for measuring film thicknesses which system does not interfere with or damage the film itself.